U.S. patent number 4,826,514 [Application Number 07/065,729] was granted by the patent office on 1989-05-02 for apparatus for dampening hazardous material.
Invention is credited to Steven C. Griffis.
United States Patent |
4,826,514 |
Griffis |
May 2, 1989 |
Apparatus for dampening hazardous material
Abstract
An apparatus is described for dampening hazardous material. A
collector pan is positioned at the end of an elongated conduit with
a spray nozzle being positioned within the collector pan. The spray
nozzle is in communication with a source of water under pressure or
a suitable encapsulating fluid. The elongated conduit is in
communication with a cylindrical trap which in turn is in
communication with a conventional filtration unit. When the
filtration unit is actuated, air is drawn through the collector
pan, through the elongated conduit, through the cylindrical trap
and into the filtration unit. Actuation of the spray nozzle will
cause the fluid to be sprayed onto the material to be removed,
compressed or encapsulated with any asbestos material being
dislodged during the spraying operation being collected in the
collector pan and delivered to the cylindrical trap.
Inventors: |
Griffis; Steven C. (Council
Bluffs, IA) |
Family
ID: |
22064702 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/065,729 |
Filed: |
June 23, 1987 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
96/360; 15/321;
15/353; 55/429; 55/439; 55/468 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D
47/06 (20130101); B08B 15/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B01D
47/06 (20060101); B08B 15/00 (20060101); B08B
15/02 (20060101); B01D 047/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;55/220,240,248,257R,259,429,437-439,468 ;472/DIG.3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
|
|
137699 |
|
Apr 1985 |
|
EP |
|
1170885 |
|
May 1964 |
|
DE |
|
2615180 |
|
Oct 1977 |
|
DE |
|
648201 |
|
Feb 1979 |
|
SU |
|
Other References
Nilfisk Simplifies the Safe Collection & Disposal of Toxic,
Hazardous, and Nuisance Waste Materials, A Six-Page Brochure from
Nilfisk of America, Inc. .
Technical Report R883, Civil Engineering Laboratory, Naval
Construction Battalion Center, 2/1981, pp. 7-1 through 7-15. .
EPA-600/2-80-088, 5/1980, Evaluation of a Commercial Vacuum System
for the Removal of Asbestos, pp. 1-74. .
EPA-450/2-78-014, 3/1978, Asbestos Containing Material in School
Buildings, A Guidance Document, Part 2, pp. I-1-1 through K-1.
.
Nilfisk GS82, A Two-Page Brochure from Nilfisk of America,
Inc..
|
Primary Examiner: Spitzer; Robert
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zarley, McKee, Thomte, Voorhees
& Sease
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for dampening or encapsulating hazardous material
in an enclosed contaminated space, comprising:
a filtration means having an air inlet, an air outlet and a filter
means therebetween;
means for drawing air into said air inlet, through said filter
means, and outwardly through said air outlet;
a collector pan means adapted to be positioned adjacent the
material to be dampened or encapsulated;
a first conduit means having opposite ends, one end of said first
conduit means being in communication with said collector pan
means;
a trap means in said enclosed contaminated space having a inlet end
and an outlet end;
the inlet end of said trap means being in communication with the
other end of said first conduit means;
a second conduit means having opposite ends, one end of said second
conduit being in communication with the outlet end of said trap
means, the other end of said second conduit means being in
communication with the air inlet of said filtration means;
a spray nozzle means positioned adjacent said collector pan
means;
means for supplying fluid to said spray nozzle means whereby fluid
may be sprayed onto the hazardous material to dampen or encapsulate
the same and whereby excess fluid and any hazardous material which
is loosened during the spraying operation will be collected by said
collector pan means and supplied to said trap means;
said trap means preventing the fluid from reaching said filtration
unit and trapping a portion of the said hazardous material entering
said trap means.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said trap means includes a
baffle means positioned between said inlet and outlet ends for
preventing the fluid, entering said trap means, from passing to
said filtration means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the early 1940's, asbestos was an inexpensive material which was
used in virtually every industrial plant across the nation because
of its superior capabilities of noise reduction, insulating and
fire retardant qualities. Asbestos was used in cement asbestos
pipe, plaster, wiring, pipe insulation, sound absorbing tiles,
floor tiles and sprayed on ceiling structural steel and deck
pans.
Asbestos has been found to be a health hazard and asbestos removal
or abatement programs are being conducted to remove these health
hazards. Many regulations have been adopted and are in place to
ensure the safety of those workers who are removing the asbestos as
well as to ensure that the asbestos being removed will not be
introduced into the surrounding atmosphere. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,604,111 describes a fairly common system which is employed in
an asbestos removal project. In most projects, an enclosure is
created around the space in which the asbestos is to be removed.
The space is sealed by means of plastic sheets or the like. An air
inlet is provided for the enclosed space to permit air to be drawn
thereinto. A filtration unit such as the Model MT-3 of Micro-Trap,
Inc. of Maple Shade, N.J. or the Model ST2000 of Global Consumer
Services, Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. is employed with each of the
units having an air inlet and an air outlet. The air outlet of the
filtration unit is placed in communication with the area outside of
the enclosed space. A blower means is provided in the filtration
unit so that the contaminated air in the enclosed space will be
drawn through the filtration unit with the asbestos fibers being
collected in the filtration unit. The filtration units are
sometimes referred to as negative air systems so that air is drawn
through the air inlet formed in the wall means and through the
filtration unit.
When the asbestos material is being removed from a large area, it
is frequently necessary to erect temporary walls to enclose a
smaller space in which the asbestos will be removed. Normally, the
upper end of the temporary wall must be wedged into contact with a
beam, deck or the like so that the upper end of the temporary wall
will sealably engage the same. To provide such engagement, it is
normally necessary to chip or scrap-away the asbestos material
immediately above the upper end of the temporary wall so that the
upper end of the wall may be placed into engagement with an
asbestos-free surface. The chipping or scraping of the asbestos
material creates a health hazard in that asbestos fibers become
airborne during the removal of the same.
In an attempt to avoid such a problem, the asbestos material is
sometimes sprayed with a liquid material to soften the material
prior to it being removed to facilitate the installation of the
temporary wall. However, the mere spraying of the liquid material
onto the asbestos dislodges a certain amount of the asbestos
thereby creating a health hazard.
In other types of asbestos abatement programs, the asbestos is
sometimes encapsulated with a suitable liquid material which
subsequently dries. However, the spraying of the encapsulating
liquid onto the asbestos material does dislodge asbestos fibers
thereby creating a health hazard.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an
apparatus for dampening hazardous material during the removal
thereof.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for
dampening hazardous material prior to the removal thereof.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus
which may be used to encapsulate hazardous material.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a system for
use in asbestos removal projects wherein a movable collector pan is
positioned adjacent the area in which the asbestos is being removed
with a spray nozzle being positioned adjacent the collector pan so
that water or the like may be sprayed onto the hazardous material
to dampen the same with the collector pan collecting the excess
water and asbestos fibers which are dislodged during the spraying
operation.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating the apparatus of this invention
being used to dampen hazardous material;
FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the apparatus of this
invention; and
FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 except that portions of the
invention have been cut away to more fully illustrate the
invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus is described for dampening hazardous material to
facilitate the installation of temporary walls which will enclose
space in which the material will be removed. The apparatus may also
be used to encapsulate the hazardous material. The area in which
the asbestos is to be removed is first enclosed by either using the
existing walls of the structure or by creating temporary walls.
When a temporary wall is utilized, the asbestos material above the
upper end of the temporary wall must be manually removed to permit
the upper end of the temporary wall to be placed in engagement with
a beam, deck, etc. In some cases, the asbestos material is sprayed
with water to dampen the same. When the asbestos material is
dampened, it becomes somewhat soft to enable the upper end of the
temporary wall to compress the asbestos material. In either
situation, asbestos fibers become airborne which creates a health
hazard. In this invention, a collector pan is positioned below the
area which will be engaged by the upper end of the temporary wall.
A spray nozzle is positioned adjacent the collector pan and is
connected to a source of water for spraying water or encapsulating
material onto the asbestos material. A conduit extends from the
collector pan to a trap which is in communication with an air
filtration unit.
In use, asbestos fibers which are dislodged during the removal or
spraying will be collected within the collector pan, as will the
excess water, and will be delivered to the trap with a large
portion of the asbestos fibers remaining in the trap. The air
passes from the trap to the filtration unit for filtering the air
and for discharge outwardly of the enclosed space.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1, the numeral 10 refers generally to a space from which
the asbestos or other hazardous material is to be removed. Space 10
is normally defined by the walls of the building structure or by
temporary walls when the space is quite large. When it is necessary
to erect temporary walls, the asbestos material on the ceiling 12
must either be removed or dampened to facilitate engagement of the
upper end of the temporary wall with the ceiling.
The numeral 14 refers to a conventional filtration unit of the
negative pressure type such as the Model MT-3 of Micro-Trap, Inc.
of Maple Shade, N.J. or the Model ST2000 of Global Consumer
Services, Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. Filtration unit 14 is
designed to filter air passing therethrough and to discharge the
air from the space 10 through an outlet 16. A flexible conduit 18
extends from the inlet end of the filtration unit 14 to the cover
20 of a trap 22. As seen in the drawings, cover 20 has an air
outlet 24 formed therein which is in communication with the
interior of conduit 18.
Trap 22 is generally cylindrical in shape and has an open upper end
26 and a closed lower end 28. Baffle 30 extends downwardly and
laterally from the upper end of trap 22 between the side walls
thereof to a location just above the lower end of the trap as seen
in FIG. 3. Fluid such as water 32 is placed in the trap 22 below
the lower end of baffle 30.
Trap 22 has an intake end 32 formed in the side wall thereof behind
baffle 30 as seen in FIG. 3. Flexible conduit 34 is connected to
the intake end 32 and extends therefrom. A rigid tube 36 is secured
to the other end of conduit 34 and has a collector pan 38 mounted
thereon as best seen in FIG. 3. Spray nozzle 40 is positioned
within collector pan 38 and has hose 42 extending therefrom which
is in operative communication with a source of water or the fluid
under pressure. Valve 44 is provided in hose 42 to control the flow
of water from the nozzle 40.
When it is desired to dampen the asbestos material to either
facilitate the eventual removal of the same or to facilitate the
forcing or pressing of the upper end of the temporary wall to
engagement therewith, the collector pan 38 is held in position
beneath the material to be dampened. Water is discharged from the
spray nozzle 40 by controlling the valve 44. Any asbestos material
which is loosened or caused to become airborne by the spraying
operation will be drawn into the collector pan 38 and thence into
the trap 22 since the filtration unit 14 is drawing air through the
collector pan 38, tube 42, conduit 34, trap 22 and conduit 18. Any
excess water which drips from the ceiling or material being
dampened will also drop into the collector pan 38 and will be drawn
into the trap 22. As the water and air are drawn into the trap 22,
the same impinge upon the baffle 30 which ensures that the water
will drop to the bottom of the trap 22 so that the water will not
be drawn into the conduit 18. It is extremely important that water
not be permitted to enter the filtration unit 14 since damage to
the filters could occur if such did happen.
Once the material has been dampened, the material may be removed so
that the upper end of the temporary wall engages an asbestos-free
surface. The collector pan is positioned adjacent the area of
removal so that any asbestos falling from the ceiling during the
removal operation will also pass to the trap 22. Further, airborne
asbestos fibers will be drawn into the collector pan 38 and
delivered to the trap 22.
The apparatus of this invention may also be used to encapsulate the
hazardous material as an abatement procedure. When the asbestos
material is being encapsulated, the appropriate encapsulating
liquid would be delivered to the nozzle 40. As the nozzle 40 sprays
the encapsulating material onto the asbestos, any fibers dislodged
during the spraying operation will fall into the collector pan 38
for delivery to the trap 22.
The apparatus of this invention also substantially eliminates the
hazard normally associated with excess water accumulating on the
floor, within the enclosed area, during spraying operations since
the excess water is collected by the apparatus.
The system is operated until the material trapped within the trap
22 becomes sludge-like and it is necessary to remove the material
from the trap. The sludge-like material is removed by simply moving
cover 20 from trap 22 and dumping the trap 22 in a suitable
receptacle.
Thus it can be seen that the apparatus of this invention
accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.
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